Standing valve puller



Aug. 19, 1941. F. M. HUDSON 2,252 761 STANDING VALVE FULLER Original Filed May 4, 1955 2 SheetS Sheet l hvvzuroe FRANK M. Huos ON 6? HA 169/6, Kn: c; F05 TEE a-HA 1919/:

F. M. HUDS ON 2,252,767

' STANDING VALVE FULLER I Original 'F iled ma 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 +40 6/ I 6 133K I A 66 26 [3/ e4 A9 I 53 143K I v 34 e4 64 2/ I as .25

43 2a l 2/, 1 43 44 40\ 23 I, I. 45 60 in; 33 i 22 26 4O ii! 4/ 60 m/l/z/vroe FRANK M Huoso/v 6r N v Hakka/(750 FOJTfikdz/ /ARR/J Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STANDING vapva Pm Frank M. Hudson, Walnut Park, Calif alsignor to Pacific Pump Works, Huntington Park,

Calif, a. corporation of California Continuation of application- Serial No. 77,749, application December 31, 1938, Serial No. 248,850 a 8 Claims. (CL 294-102) May 4, 1936. This This application is'a continuation of my application Serial No. 77,749, filed May 4, 1936, for Standing valve puller.

My invention relates to a pulling and inthe pump plunger being removable from pump is of insertable type so that the entire 7 pump including the barrel and plunger can be lifted from the oil production tubing. In such .latter installationsa standing valve may be left seated in the lowerend of the oil tubing when the insert pump is removed, so that the oil in the tubing will notdrain out into the well.

Various types-of standing valve pullers are now in use employing the principle of a projecting pin engaging a bayonet type of slot. In

such construction, the valve is carried on the pin or pins engaging the slots or shoulders, and it is found that such types of standing valve pullers are subject to a' condition known as floating off" of the valve, which consists in the rising or floating of the standing valve due to a sudden upward surge or flow of gas in the well, causing the valve lifting means to become disconnected from the valve, whereupon it will fall back to the bottom of the oil tubing. It is an object of my present invention to provide a standing valve lifter, which may be selectively employed to engage or release the valve at the will of the operator, which standing valve puller does not carry the load of the valve on pins which project into engagement with shoulders, and which has means which will effectively prevent the valve from floating oif." In the standing valve pullers with which I am familiar, the interengageable parts are exposed to abuse and wear, with the result that after a period of use they become ineflective or uncertain in operation. For example, it is found that Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident throughout the'following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a vertically sectioned view showing the cooperating parts of a preferred form of my invention in detached relation.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on a plane indicated by the line 2- 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section. by the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig, 4. is a bottom plan view taken as indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 5 is a partlysectioned elevational view looking toward one side of Fig. 1, this view showing the cooperating parts of the valve puller on a plane indicated in engagement.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 5, showing the engager or clamping element of the device in releasing position.

. The preferred form of my invention shown in the drawings includes two engageable elements Ill and I i, one of which is adapted to be secured to a member vertically movable within an-oil tubing, such, for example, as the lower end of a pump plunger, and the other of which is adapted to be connected to a standing valve. In the preferred practice of the invention, the element In may be connected by means of a bushing l2 with the lower end l3 of a pump barrel J4, and the element II ispreferably provided with a threaded projection l5 whereby it may be secured, as shown in Fig. 5, to the cage l6 of a standing valve structure ll. 7

One of the cooperating elements, in this in- I stance the element ID, has engaging or clampin those types employing projecting pins, the l pins will shear off, and in other types having wedge-shaped connecting members the interengaging parts become badly worn so that they do uncertain in their operation. a

of such length that its ends 2 ing means l8 adapted for movement relative to the remaining part of the element In, betweenan engaging position and a releasing position. The engaging member I8 is cylindrical in its general form and includes an upper ring portion I9 from which ,a plurality of arcuate fingers 2| project downwardly, the lower portions of these fingers having arcuate enlargements 22 forming inwardly and upwardly presented shoulders 23. Extending across the ring portion is and rigidly secured therein is a diametral pin 24 project from the outer face of the ring I9. a The element ll also includes a. cylindrical shell 26 in which the member I8 is loosely fitted and within which it is freely slidable both vertically and angular-1y. The upper end of the shell 28 is provided with internal 2'! whereby it may be screwedonto'the bushing l2, and at its lower 'end'the shell -23 is decreased in internal diameter so as to form a conical inwardly and upwardly directed face 23. Intermediate its ends the shell 23 has diametrically opposed openings 23 into which the ends 25 of the-pin 24 project, these openings 29 having the form clearly shown in Figs. 5-and'6. An upper portion of .each opening 23 is in the form of aslot 3| with a shoulder or pocket. 32, which maybe referred to asth'e primarypockeaat its lower end, and'a lower portion. isin theform of a slot 33, the

, lower end of whichis disposed in a horizontal plane below'the pocket 32-01 the'upper slot 3|,

the end'34 constituting a shoulder or pocket I which "may be referred to as the secondary pocket or shoulder; Theupper endof the. lower slot 33 is connected by means of a diagonal slot 35 with an intermediate part of the upper slot 3|. Otherwise described, it may be 'stated that the upperpart of the lower slot 33 curves toward and into the central part of the upper slot 3|. As shown in Fig. 6, when the pin ends are in thepockets'32 of the upper slots 3|, the V lower endsof the fingers 2| will be disposed above 25 the conical face 2 8, and the lowerends of the fingers 2| will bef'in what maybe termed expanded or}ifreleased fiposition. When the pin ends '25 are in' tlne positions in which they are shown in Fig. 5 in the lower portions of the slots .33, the engaging member." 'will be lowered to such an extentthat the lower ends of the fingers 2| will engage the conical face 23 and be forced inwardly thereby into what may be termed engaging. position. A compression sprin 33 is'35 placed between the upper end of the ring portion l9 and the lower shoulder of the bushing l2. This spring 33 'yieldably applies a relatively strong force downwardly against the engaging member l3 so that the pin ends '25 are'held 40 forcibly downwardly either in the pockets 32 or the lower portionsof the slots 33.

When the engaging member I3 is caused to move upwardly with respect to the shell 23 from the position in which it is shown in Fig.5, the

diagonal slots 35 will direct the pin ends 215 laterally into the upper slots 3|, or into such positions as indicated by the dotted circle 31 of Fig. 5, which causes :the member l3- to rotate clockwise with respect to the shell 23 through a small angle. This angle is measured by the angular distance between'tl'ie slots 3| and 33. Then, upon release of the upward force which has moved the member l3 upwardly as described,

the member |8"will move'vertically downwardly,

and the pinends 25 will travel vertically downwardly in the upper slots 3| into the pockets 32 formed at the .lower ends thereof. It will be perceived that upward movement of the-memher it relative to the shell 23, or, what is the same thing, downward movement of the shell 23 relative to "the engaging member l3, followed by a relative movement in the opposite direction, will automatically move the pin ends 25 from the lower portions of the lower slots 33 into the upper slots 3| and thenceinto the pockets 32, and that by this simple relative movement of the parts l8 and 23 the engaging member l3 may be moved from engaging position, as shown in Fig. 5, to

released position, as shown in Fig. 6. To accomplish return of the engaging member-V |3from released position,.a-s shown in Fig. 6, to engaging position, as shown in Fig. 5, requires, first. a relative downward movement of the shell 23 relative to the engaging member |3 so as to and head- 42.

bring the 'plniends 25 into alignment with the diagonal slots 35, and then clockwise rotation of the shell 23 relative tothe engaging member. l3, as will be hereinafter described, toposition'the vpin ends 25 in the slots 33, when an upward movement of the shell 23.1nayv be permitted to cause the pin ends'25 to travel to the lower portions of the lower slots 33. v T [The element is-adapted to pass through the opening 40 at the lower end of the shell 23 and withinthe space enclosed by the fingers 2| of the "engaging member Hi. The fingers 2|-and the element II are cooperatively, prepared so that when the fingers 2| are in engaging position, as shown in Fig. 5, the element II will be-engagedin such a manner that it cannotbe removed "from the lower end of the shell 23. The element comprises a'bar or stem 4| with a head 42' at its upper end providing a downwardly faced annular shoulder 43 adapted to engage the shoulders 23 of the fingers 2|, in-the manner shown in Fig. 5. The upper end face of the head 42 is provided with a diametral groove 44 of a size to receive the central portion of the pin 24 when the element H is brought longitudinally and angularly into a position relative to the shell 23' wherein the head 42 will engage the pin 24," and the groove 44 and pin 24 are angularly coincident. 7

When the head 42 of the .element II is engaged in the manner shown in'Fig. 5, the downward force exerted by the. spring 33 causes the lower ends of the fingers 2| to ride downwardly and inwardly on the conical face 23 and to be thereby forcedv tightly into engagement withthe element H. For purposeof explanation, it may be saidthat the element and'its attached standing valve I! are, in Fig. 5, supported or suspended from the lower part of the shell 23' in the relative position which they have when being lowered down through an oil tube in a well into engagement with a standing valve seat at the lower end of such oil tube, not shown. When the standing valve |'l reaches. itsseat in the oil tube, its downward movement -will be stopped. The downward movement of the element may be continued, so that the pin 24 will 'be brought into engagement with the head 42, thereby stopping the downward movement of the engagement member l3. When the pin 24 thus engages the head 42, the pin may or may not be seated in the groove 44, depending upon the chance relative angular position of the pin 24 Then, further downward move.- ment of the shell 23 will cause the lower slots 33 to move downwardly relative to the pin ends 25, and the upper edges of the diagonal slots shown in Fig. 6, whereupon further upward movement of the shell will cause it to pass over and above the upper end '0! the element leaving the standing valve seated in operative position. r a

Operation of the pump may then be carried on,

5 the puller reciprocating idly atthe lower end of sition of the pin 24 and-groove 44 is such that -the pin rides upon the top of thehead 42 when groove 44 is, there is applied to the shell 26, dur- The string is then lifted. When the shell 26 breaks frictional contact with the top of the well the sucker rod string through a vertical range of movement such that it is out of contact with the of smaller diameter than the internal" diameter of either the opening 46 or arcuate enlargements 22 when expanded.

It will be noted that if, during the operation of loweringthe standing valve, the angular poit contacts the head, and does not slip into the groove 44, the engaging element l8 will be caused to rotate withrespect to both the shell 26 and the stem by the interaction of the pin ends and the upper walls of the slots 35. The stem will be held against rotation by the friction of the standing valve cage with the'bottom or the pump barrel or oil tubing, as the case may be. The pin 24 will then turn bodily in angular relationship with both the shell and the valve cage stem 4|. There will be, due to sliding friction, a slight torque applied to the shell tending to turn it in an anti-clockwise direction and consequently to tighten the threaded connections 2 between the sections of sucker rods, which are formed with right-hand threads. If the pin 24 drops into the groove 44 as it turns under the cam-like action of the upper walls of the slots 35, or if it is initially in engagementwlth the groove 44, the pin 24 andthe valve cag, will be locked against relative rotation, and the friction of the standing valve cage with the bottom of the pump barrel or oil tubing, as the case may be,-will be eifective to apply a heavier torque tending to turn the shell in an anti-clockwise direction and tighten the threaded joints of the sections of sucker rods. It will thus be seen that no matter what the angular. position of the ing the operation. of releasing the standing valve cage, atorsional force tending to tighten the sucker rod connections. The groove 44 performs no function during the operation of releasing the valve cage. If the pin 24 is seatedin the groove 44 at the end of the releasing operation, the engaging member I8 rests in a-position with respect to the stem 4| which is lower by a distance equal'to the depth of the groove 44 than is the case when the pin straddles the groove, a difference in position which is of no consequence in the operation of the device.' The same may be said of the shell 26 which is held in fixed longitudinal relationship with the member I6 by the spring 36.

When it is desired to pull the standing valve from its seat at the lower end of the oil tube, the element I6 is lowered over the' stem of the .element H to such position that the pin 24 will bebrought into engagement with the head '42, with the weight of the string holding thevlower end of the shell 26 down upon the top of the valv cage l6. The pin ends 25 will, during this downward movement of the string, travel upward in the slots 3| to a point adjacent the upper end thereof.- A torque tending to turn the string in a clockwise direction is then applied to the string and thereby to the member I6 by giving the string several turns at the surface of the well.

cage, the torque of the string gives the shell a clockwise movement' The member l8 at first turns with it due to friction between the two ends of the spring 36 with the lower end of the bush- 7 3 ing l2 and the upper end of the ring l9, respectively, The pin 24 carried by the ring I! of the member It will turn withthe shell 26 until it registers angularlywith the'groove 44, at which time it will be forcedinto the groove by the.

arrive at a point opposite the slots 35, the shell 26 is permitted to turn in a clockwisedirection, for theslots 35 now pass over the pin ends 25, forcing them down into the slots 33 and into the lower end portions thereof. The engaging member l8 has then assumed a position relative to the shell 26 such that the lower ends of the fingers 2| will engagethe conical-shoulder 23 and be forced inwardly into engagement position, so that as the element l6 continues upwardly,-the

shoulders 23 of the fingers 2| of the element l8 will engage the shoulders 43 of the stem head 42 and lift the stem 4| with its attached standing valve I! up through the well to the surface of the ground.

It will be observed that during the releasing operation the downward thrust of meaning is converted into a torque upon the string which tends to tighten the sucker rod joints. During the operationof picking. up the valve cage, a torque is applied to the. string which, acting against the frictional resistance of the valve cage, tends to again tighten the threaded joints.

The lower end of the shell 26 has downwardly extended-p ojections 56 which are preferably diametrically disposed, these projections 56 being adapted to engage notches 5| in the upper part of the cage l6 of the standingvalve I! when the shell 26 is lowered a sufilcient distance, the purpose-thereof being to provides. means of interengagement whereby the parts to which the shell 26 is attached may be locked against rotation relative-to the valve cage when it is desired to tighten the threaded connections between sections of the well string which have accidentally become. loosened in operation. To accomplish this purpose, the string is dropped under the force of its weight until the lower end of the shell rests upon the upper end of the valve cage.

point where the projections 56 rest upon the valve cage but also to a lower point where the projections 56 enter the notches 5| when they are in angular register. The string is *then. given a clockwise torque which rotates the shell until such registry is established and the projections 56 enter the notches 6|, the torque thenacting to tighten the threaded connections of the stringsections, since the valve cage is held against rotation by frictional contact-of 'its lower end with its support.

If at this juncture the pin 24 happens to be seated .in the groove 44, or to become seated therein during'the rotation of the shell 26 prior to the moment at which the-projections 66 come f V r'eleasing or picking up the valve cage;

' the torsional force acting upon the member ill to the thrust of the spring 26 exceeds a given value.

The shell and valve cage are not locked togather by interengagement of the projections 50 and notches at any stage in the operations of y The longitudinal dimensions in the shell, engaging member,and valve stem, and the positionof the slots 3| and 33 longitudinally of the shell are such that the projections 50 and notches 5| are always out of engagement during all of the steps of the operations of releasing and picking up the valve cage. Theslots 3|, however, are prolonged upwardly a sufllcient distance so that the shell 26 may be lowered against the compression of the spring 36 until the pin ends 25 enter the extreme upper portions of the slots 3|, permitting engagement of the projections 50 with the notches 5|. This upward prolongation of the slots 3| is therefore a feature of my inventiommaking possible the combination of the valve pulling intermediate engaging member |8 with an interlocking means for the valve cage and the string of sucker tails disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pulling tool of the character described, the combination of: an elongated shell adapted for connection to a member insertable in a well to be operated thereby; an engagerarranged in said shell for limited rotational and slidable movement relative thereto and having grasping fingers adapted to encompass an object to be.

, pulled from a well; means carried by said enrods when it, is desired to tighten the threaded connections of the sucker rods.

The upper ends of the slots 3| are suflicilently prolonged so that when the projections 5&0 are fully seated within the notches 5|, and the lower end of the shell 26 contacts the upper end of the valve cage, the pin. ends 25 do not quite contact the upper end walls of the slots 3|. This feature of the design of *my valve puller prevents the pin ends 25 from being sheared oil when the sucker rod string is rapidly lowered and the shell 26 is bumped violently against the valve cage, even though'the projections 5|! and notches 5| are at that moment in angular registry.

It is anotherfeature of my inventionthat the slots 33 are sufficiently prolonged downwardly that their lower end walls are not in contact with the pin ends 25 when the valve cage is being I lifted, since, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 5, when thevalve cage is being lifted, the arcuate enlargements 22 support the ring l9 at such a.

position longitudinally with respect to the shell 25 that the pin ends 25 are not quite seated in the pockets 34 at the lower ends of the slots 35. It will thus be apparent that the pin ends 25 are never called on to support any other body than the relatively light member l8, nor are they eve subjected toany shock or blow.

There is no danger, as the valve is being lifted out' of the well, of a sudden upward surge of oil in the tubing releasing the valve from the puller.

I If such a surge of oil lifts the valve cage and stem 4|. into contact with the pin 24, the spring 35 holds the fingers 2| in position.

, Although I have herein shown and described my invention in simple and practical form, it is recognized that certain parts or elements thereof are representative of other parts, elements, or mechanisms which may be used in substantially the same manner to accomplish substantially the same results; therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the depulled and said engager when said shell is 'gager and adapted to engage said object to be pulled for preventing relative rotational movement of said object to be pulled and said engager engager normally holding said engager in an inoperative position, said slot having a wall forming a cam surface engaged by said pin and operable by rotation and longitudinal movement of said shell to move said engager longitudinally relative thereto into operative position, and said cam surface being operable upon subsequent longitudinal movementof said shell to rotate said engager into inoperative position to release said object engaged thereby.

2. In a pulling tool of the character, described, the combination of an elongated shell adapted for connection to a member insert'able in a well, to be operated thereby; an engager arranged in said shell for limited rotational and longitudinal movement relative thereto and having normally inoperative grasping fingers adapted to liftably engage an object to be pulled from a well; means carried by said engager additional to and independent of said grasping fingers and adapted to engage said object to be pulled for preventing relative rotational movement of said object to be rotated; means operable by a longitudinal movement of said shell relative to said engager in one longitudinal direction to one limit of its longitudinal movement for moving said grasping fingers into operative position for lifting engagement with said object to be pulled; means tending to effect said longitudinal movement toward said one limit; and inter-engaging cam and follower means arranged operatively between said shell and-said engager to permit said limited relative rotational and longitudinal movement, said inter-engaging means normally retaining said engager in a longitudinal position relative to said shell remote from said one limit, said interengaging means being also capable of releasing said engager from said position and of permitting relative rotational movement and relative longitudinal movement of said shell and said engager in said one longitudinal direction to said one limit upon manipulation of said shell, said manipulation comprising application of a torque to said shell in one angular direction, and said inter-engaging means being also adapted upon.

and a transverse pin extending through said engager having outer ends extending into said -slots, said slots having radially spaced, vertically extending upper and lower portions to hold said engager in inoperative and operative positions and a diagonally extending portion forming a cam surface operable through engagement with said outer ends of said pin to move said engager into operative position by a longitudinal movesaid member; a vertical stem adapted to be rigidly secured to an object to be pulled and when so secured to project upwardly through said open shell end and inside of said grasping fingers and member; an annular cam face at the lower end "of said shell adapted toengage said fingers and force them inwardly from said shell into grasping engagement with said vertical stem as said member moves relatively downward; a spring mounted between said shell and said member to urge said member relatively downward; a radially projecting follower pin on said member; a cam opening in said shell for said follower pin having a first vertical slot, a second vertical slot laterally placed with respect to said first slot, and an inclined slot connecting the upper portion of said first slot with said second slot at a point above the lower end thereof, the lower end of said firstslot being lower than the lower end of said second slot, said pin and opening being arranged to permit said member to occupy its lower finger grasping position when said pin is disposed in the lower portion of said first slot and to occupy a higher position in which said fingers are in a position above said annular cam and where they are incapable of grasping said stem when said pin is seated in the lower end of said second slot; and means rigidly secured to said member and adapthaving two transverse surfaces so formed respectively that as said members are lowered with respect to said object, one of said surfaces first vertically abuts from below said engaging member and lifts said engaging member relative to said supporting member against the action of said spring and the other of said surfaces subsequently vertically abuts from below said supporting member, said surfaces on said object being so disposed and said members being so proportionately dimensioned and shaped that said object vertically abuts said supporting member only when said engaging member is adjacent and not at the upper limit of its range of longitudinal movement; and means for securing said engaging member against the action of said spring in an intermediate position of its range of movement.

6. In a device for pulling a standing valve having a stem projecting upwardly therefrom and a slot extending across the upper end of said stem,

a puller including a body member having a longitudinal bore therein to telescopically receive the upper end of the stem, a slip carrier. longitudinally slidable in said bore, a plurality of slips on said carrier movable therewith between an inwardiy. extending stem engaging position to a ed to vertically separably abut in an angularly locked relationship the upper end of said stem when said shell and member move downwardly,

whereby an object to be pulled when held angularly stationary may angularly fix in position said member as'said shell is angularly moved with respect thereto as permitted'by the relationship of said pin and inclined slot.

5. In a puller of the character described, the combination of: an object to be lifted; a supporting member secured to a well string; a member for engaging said object and movably mounted on said supporting member to have limited longitudinal movement with respect to said supporting member; a spring mounted operatively between said members to urge said engaging member toward its lower limit of relative movement; means on said engaging member adapted to be moved by said supporting member into vertically supporting relationship with said object when said engaging member is adjacent the lower limit of'its range of movement, and to be devoid of supporting relationship with said object at all upper relative longitudinal positions of said engaging member with respect to said supporting member, said supporting member and meansberetracted non-enaging position, means for locking said slips in non-engaging position, means for releasing said locking means upon relative rotation between said puller and said valve comprising a pin on said carrier extending across said bore to be received in the slot in the top of said stem when said stem is inserted in said bore to non-rotatably intercouple said stem and carrier whereby subsequent rotation of said puller relative "to said stem will rotatably shift said carrier in said bore.

7-. In adevice for pulling a standing valve having a stem projecting upwardly therefrom and a slot extending across the upper end of said stem, a puller having a longitudinal bore therein to telescopically receive the upper end of said stem,

coupling means carried by said puller for securmg said puller to said stem, restraining means normally restraining said coupling means from vengaging said stem, releasing means for releasing slot in the upper end of said stem to non-rotat ing provided with interacting surfaces to cause.

said movement of said means into and out or ably couple said coupling means to said stem and cause relative rotation between said puller and said coupling means when said puller is rotated.

8. The combination ofa standing valve with a puller therefor, which combination comprises:

a standing valve body having a stem projecting, upwardly therefrom; a puller body having a boretherein for receiving said stem; a coupling means carried by said puller body and actuatable to secure said puller body to said stem in response to relative rotation between said puller body and said coupling means; and means for rotating said coupling means in said puller vbody in response to rotation of said puller body relative to said valve including a pin carried by said coupling means and extending across said bore, and a slot extending transversely across the upper end of said stem for receiving said pin to non-rotatably couple said coupling means to said valve.

' FRANK M. HUDSON. 

